Located in the east of the country, sharing a border with Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, the Kivu area is not only home to the Virunga National Park but also many smallholder farmers that produce coffees with stunning cup profiles. The region is named after one of Africa’s Great Lakes, the majestic Lake Kivu. While the area is marked by ongoing conflicts, collaborations between coffee farmers, non-governmental organizations, and Virunga National Park are fostering peace through the cultivation of specialty coffee.

Through the Virunga Alliance, which is supported by the provincial authorities, civil society, and the private sector, the National Park is investing in a number of initiatives to promote economic and environ- mental regeneration.

Established within the Albertine Rift Valley in 1925, it is the oldest national park in Africa. Two active volcanoes have significantly shaped the national park’s diverse and rich habitat, wildlife, and plant life: Mount Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira. Within the park, more than 3,000 faunal and floral species have been recorded, of which more than 300 are endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley, including the eastern mountain gorilla and golden monkey. It is also home to highly endangered lowland gorillas, as well as savannah elephants, chimpanzees, lions, leopards, and antelopes. The park boasts the largest diversity of birdlife in the world. Due to its rich diversity of habitats, exceptional biodiversity, and endemism, the area’s uniqueness and importance were recognized, leading to its listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. However, because of the political situation and civil unrest in the DR Congo, the park has also been listed as a World Heritage in danger. The park and its inhabitants face many existential challenges. Through the Virunga Alliance, supported by provincial authorities, civil society, and the private sector, the National Park is investing in numerous initiatives to promote economic and environmental regeneration.

Since 2019 we have successfully supported an agronomical project together with Farm Africa and the Virunga Alliance. The programme was designed to boost the livelihoods of coffee farming families living on the border of Virunga National Park. Over the course of the four years of the Virunga National Park coffee project to December 2022 5,500 farmers received training in Good Agricultural Practices. The project approach was based on implementing a holistic and sustainable farming model, including crop diversification and establishing a balance between food security and cash generation. As part of the Virunga Foundation’s agriculture programme financed by the European Union, the joint project targeted smallholder farmers affiliated with two young cooperatives, Coopade based on the highlands to the north-west of Lake Edward and Kawa Kanzururu on the western flanks of the Rwenzori mountains. Over the past years, more than 143,000 coffee seedlings, accompanied by training in planting and nurturing, have been distributed to producers of both cooperatives. A visual manual for “Good Agricultural Practices” has been developed specifically tailored to growing conditions and the farming calendar of North Kivu.

In total, 23 agronomists used the manual as a basis for training and trained all smallholder members of both coops. The infrastructure investments included new pulpers and pulper parts, as well as increased washing and drying capacity by investing in tanks and drying tables. One new washing station for each coop was built. Cupping labs were installed at each coop, and cuppers were trained. Internal control systems are being strengthened to ensure complete traceability and that the requirements for certifications are met.

The programme ended in late 2022, and we can look back at numerous achievements and their impact on the local environment, smallholder farmer’s livelihoods, and economic well-being. Despite facing multiple obstacles, much progress has been made. However, it is evident that the task of building sustainable coffee farming communities in North Kivu is far from complete. Nevertheless, we are more than happy and proud to have been part of this programme and its achievements!